


Blood of the Dragon

by Aviditas04



Series: Blood of the Dragon [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Pre-Canon, Valyria Before the Dragons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-28
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-01-06 10:32:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12209460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aviditas04/pseuds/Aviditas04
Summary: We all know how the Valyrians claimed to be the blood of the dragon, as are the Dovahkiin/Dragonborn.   What if there was a reason for that?  Meet the first Valyrian to be the blood of the dragon: Rhaegar Targaryen, Dragonborn!





	1. Prologue: The Journal of Rhaegar Targaryen

**Author's Note:**

> Someone once asked if The Dragonborn Comes was a crossover between Game of Thrones and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. At first, the answer was a no, but having played a little of it, I can see why the question was asked. And as a result, I have decided to actually write said crossover. Why do the Muses torture me so? Oh, and just to make it clear, I do not own Game of Thrones, A Song of Ice and Fire, or The Elder Scrolls. Oh, and this is going to be the basis of the text of one of the books that Jaehaerys/Jon gets from Rhaegar in my story: Amethyst Eyes. I had already created the backstory I tell here as part of my history of Valyria, but between the question and the comment about the Dragonborns being called ‘blood of the dragon,’ well, how could I NOT do this story?

_Valyria, 8/17/476 Hen Mazverdagon Oktion (From the Creation of the City)_

Today is the day that I die. I know this because no one has ever done this quest and come back alive, yet it is my duty. It was we Targaryens that first woke Smaug and brought his doom upon Valyria, and it must be a Targaryen that brings him down. Once I eat one final breakfast with my family, I will gird and arm myself and ride out to Smaug’s cave and do what I can to kill him. Aegon is young, but he is ready to be the Targaryen lord and a member of the Valyrian Senate, for he is very charismatic. People listen to him, though he is a Targaryen, and only 18 years old. He has even won the heart of the daughter of Lucaenys Maegyr, the great merchant freelord, who has ties to great nations like Ghis and the Rhoynar. If anyone can reverse our fortunes, it is Aegon.

  
At breakfast, I give Aegon my blessing and tell him to live a full life without the pressure of Smaug, even though I know I will fail. It is Aegon’s duty to return House Targaryen to it’s former heights, not to bring down a dragon that many are starting to believe might actually be the incarnation of the god of volcanoes that we had yet to name. I also warn him to watch out for his brothers and sisters, and to ensure that they make good matches that follow their hearts. And with that, I go to my room, where there was a flash of light, and I blacked out.


	2. Arrival

_17th of Last Seed, 201st Year of the Fourth Era_

I woke in confusion, what was I doing in a cart? I would have gotten out, but I was shocked to find that my hands were bound behind my back, like some criminal! What was going on? And where was I? This cold, forested land was like none I had ever heard of, save for the northern half of the Sunset Lands, and there was no way I had been out that long. I looked at the rest of the cart, and discovered that there were three other men bound in the cart with me, and one of them was also gagged. Why would our captors, whoever they were, do that? What could be so dangerous about someone speaking?

"Hey, you. You're finally awake," one of my companions said. He was a blond man wearing chain armour under a blue tunic. "You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there."

"Something like that," I answered, though I didn't remember anything like that.

"Damn you, Stormcloaks," the apparent thief said. He had to be the thief, as the gagged man was dressed in much the same way as the first man, and had the same blond hair. The other had far darker skin and black hair, not to mention the ragged tunic he had for clothing. "Skyrim was fine till you came along," the thief continued. "Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn't been looking for you, I could have stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell." Then the thief turned to me. "You, you and me, we shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants."

Obviously Skyrim was the name of this land, and Hammerfell was clearly a city, under the rule of an empire. And I was in a cart with a horse thief and two rebels? This didn't seem like a good place to be.  _Great Balerion, give me justice! Arrax, Meleys, see me safely home_ , I silently prayed. "What's wrong with him?" the thief asked, indicating the gagged man.

"Watch your tongue!" the Stormcloak said. "You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King!" Ah, I understood now. This Ulfric was the leader of the Stormcloak rebellion. So yes, this was a  _very_  dangerous cart to be in.  _Great Balerion, help me, I beg of you!_  I prayed again. "Hey, what village are you from, horse thief?"

"Why do you care?"

"A Nord's last thoughts should be of home," the Stormcloak said grimly. As it turned out, they had arrived at a village (that the Stormcloak later identified as Helgen,) and I wasn't the only one praying for mercy, as the horse thief had panicked and was praying as well, though I had never heard of a religion that referred to it's gods as 'The Divines'. The Stormcloak on the other hand was just grumbling about the military governor, one General Tullius and a group called the Thalmor. "Damn elves, I bet they had something to do with this!" he growled out.  _Elves? What in the fourteen fires are elves?_  I wondered. Not in all the known world had I ever heard of elves, so what did that mean for me? Was I somewhere so far east or south that none had heard of this land?

When they stopped the thief tried to protest by saying that he and I weren't rebels. When the Stormcloak told him to face his death with some courage, I had to agree. "You're dead anyways, thief. You don't want to know what we would have done to you back home." Valyria wasn't known for our kindness to those who break our laws.

One by one, a soldier called out their names. First was Ulfric, then Ralof of Riverwood, who turned out to be the other Stormcloak, while Lokir of Rorikstead was identified as the thief. Lokir tried to escape, only for archers to shoot him.  _Morghul, welcome him to the afterlife with open arms._  After that little bit of excitement, the soldier with the list turned to me and told me "Wait. You, step forward. Who are you?"

I stated "I am Rhaegar Targaryen of Valyria."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, just so you know, I have created the basis of a pantheon for ancient Valyria, loosely based on the Greco-Roman pantheon. The names of the Valyrian gods are taken mostly from names of known dragons, as Martin has stated that at least Aegon the Conqueror's dragons were named after the Valyrian gods. I have taken those names, created a list of fourteen main gods (after the fourteen fires of Valyria,) and given them their spheres of influence. Those in this chapter are: Balerion, king of the gods, god of kings and justice and the creator; Arrax, god of travellers; Meleys, goddess of the family and home; and finally, Morghul, god of the dead. You can read about all fourteen of the gods in my creation myth The Birth of the World


	3. Unbound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics is for what isn’t in the journal, thoughts or Thu’ums.

_“I am Rhaegar Targaryen of Valyria.”  Hadvar barely managed to hide his surprise at the statement.  He had never heard of a family called Targaryen, let alone a town or village called Valyria.  But this man didn’t look like any he had ever seen.  His features were such that he could only be described as beautiful, and he had hair that shone like silver, and eyes the colour of amethysts.  Not even the elves could compare to this stranger._

“You picked a bad time to come to Skyrim,” the Imperial told me before he turned to his commanding officer.  “Captain, what should we do?  He’s not on the list.”

“Forget the list, he goes to the block.”

I wasn't upset at Hadvar, only the officer.  What could Hadvar do, but obey?  If he tried anything else, he’d be losing his head as well.  “By your orders, Captain.”  Then he turned to me.  “I’m sorry, we’re not exactly leaving a good impression, are we?  Follow the captain.”

I just smiled at the soldier.  “It’s not your fault, soldier.  I was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.  I just always thought that I’d die in fire, not losing my head.  All I ask is that you treat my remains with respect.”

When I joined the rest of those who were to lose their heads, General Tullius faced Ulfric.  “Ulfric Stormcloak, some here in Helgen call you a hero.  But a hero doesn’t use a power like the Voice to murder his king and usurp his throne.”  The Voice?  What in the fourteen fires was that? I had to wonder.  Whatever it was, it was clearly lethal, which explained why Ulfric was gagged.  “You started this war,” Tullius continued, “plunged Skyrim into chaos, and now the Empire is going to put you down, and restore the peace.”

Just then, an all too familiar roar came from out of nowhere.  I paled at the sound before searching the skies for the source.  Tullius dismissed the sound, but I knew better than to do so, for the source of the sound had plagued Valyria for three and a half centuries.  I searched the skies, completely ignoring the priestess giving the prisoners their last rites, until the captain ordered “Next, the alien who should have never come to Skyrim.”

I barely had the presence of mind to obey, as another roar had come, but this one was far closer than the last.  The captain moved to force me to my knees, but I stopped her.  “If I’m going to see Morghul, then it will be under my own power.  I will go to my knees willingly.”  And so I did, though I twisted my head so I could look in the direction that the roars had come from.

Then it appeared.  “What in Oblivion is that?!” Tullius cried out.  I knew what it was instantly, though it looked quite different than it's cousin back home.  The sentries searched for it, but the dragon had landed on the circular tower in front of the execution square, and a roar like none I had heard before came, knocking me and the executioner over like blades of grass.  Most of the prisoners had probably scattered, as Tullius’ only concern was saving the people of Helgen.

“Hey Rhaegar!  Over here, the gods won’t give us another chance!” Ralof called out.  I didn’t see a reason not to follow, especially as the executioner was dead, so I did so.  Once inside the very tower that the dragon had been on, Ralof asked Ulfric “What is that thing?  Could the legends be true?”

“Legends don’t burn down villages,” Ulfric stated simply.

“That, my lad, was a dragon,” I stated.  “A dragon has been plaguing Valyria for the past three centuries, so believe me when I say that I know dragons.”

“Then we need to get out of here, now!” Ulfric stated.  “Climb the tower.”  However, even that nearly proved deadly as the dragon burst through the wall and killed one of the Stormcloaks.  Once it left, Ralof directed me to jump through the hole in the wall and into an inn whose roof had been partially destroyed by the dragon.

Once I was through the inn, I found Hadvar convincing a child to come to him and escape the dragon.  When he finally noticed me, he asked "Still alive, Targaryen?  Keep close to me if you want to stay that way."

Then the blasted idiot went and said that he had to join the defence of the city.  "Are you mad?!  That's the LAST thing you want to do if you wish to live against a dragon!"  However, I had no choice but to follow him.  We kept between buildings, which saved us when the dragon landed on top of a wall and never saw us.  But by the gods was I surprised when I could have sworn I heard it SPEAK just before it started burning things again.

Fortunately, General Tullius had survived the dragon's assault and ordered Hadvar to escape.  When he noticed me, instead of ignoring me or trying to have me killed again, he told me "What, do you want to be this thing's next meal?  Get into the keep!"  
 Following his advice, I chased after Hadvar, only for us to run into Ralof again.  "Ralof, you damned traitor!  Out of my way!"

"We're escaping, Hadvar.  You're not stopping us this time," Ralof stated.

"Fine!  I hope that dragon takes you all to Sovngarde!" Hadvar growled out.  While Ralof was nice enough, Hadvar was indirectly responsible for saving my life and had done far more to protect me, so I followed him.  But right before I entered the keep, I heard the dragon speak again and I decided to ask Hadvar about it later.  "Looks like we're the only ones who made it.  Was that really a dragon, the bringers of the end times?" he asked once we were inside the barracks.

"I don't know anything about your legends or stories of the end of the world, but yes, that was a dragon," I stated.

"How do you know?"

"About 350 years ago, my ancestor, Aerys Targaryen decided to investigate why we were constantly losing some of our sheep when they were led to pasture near one of the Fourteen Fires, volcanoes near Valyria.  Inside, he discovered a dragon, one that has plagued Valyria ever since,” I explained.  “I was actually going to try and kill the dragon Smaug this morning, but before I could, I woke up in that damned cart.”

“Odd, this attack is the first I’ve heard of dragons in Tamriel for centuries,” Hadvar stated.  “Get over here and let me get those bindings off.  We need to keep moving, and you won’t be of much help to me if you’re still bound.” 

“Thanks, Hadvar,” I stated as he cut the ropes binding my hands.  “And I’m not surprised you haven’t heard of Smaug’s attacks.  We Targaryens are one of the great families in Valyria, yet I’ve never heard of Tamriel or elves before.  I think some kind of magic or one of the gods transported me here, but who knows why.”

“Perhaps the gods will reveal their reasoning,” Hadvar stated.  “But for now, you’d better get some armour and a sword from these chests.  I have a feeling we’re going to need them soon.”  Hadvar was proven right soon after, as we ran across Stormcloaks who quickly attacked us, despite Hadvar trying to talk them into joining our escape.  More attacked us in a storeroom, where Hadvar told me to take anything and everything I could possibly need.  Later on, after visiting the torture rooms, we found yet more Stormcloaks!

"Where did all these Stormcloaks come from?" I asked a few minutes later.  "There were only six scheduled for execution with Lokir and I, including Ulfric.  I found two wounded inside the tower, and I haven’t seen Ralof or Ulfric since I joined up with you.  Yet despite that, we have killed not four, but ten Stormcloaks, so where did they come from?”

“We don’t execute all the Stormcloaks immediately,” Hadvar explained.  “Some of them must have been in the dungeons and used the dragon’s attack to escape.”  Just as he said that, a stone fell on the wooden bridge we had just crossed, utterly destroying it, while at the same time, a cave-in cut the far side of the bridge off from the tunnels we’d been travelling.  So we were forced to keep going through a system of caves that seemed to have been cut by a small river.

I checked up one stream that had been cut off by some bars, but all I found was a dead end, with a skeleton holding on to a purse of coins and a healing potion.  “No escape that way,” I stated when I met up with Hadvar.  The main path of the stream also ended in a dead end with a skeleton, but fortunately there was also a path leading away from the stream.  “I guess we better try this way,” Hadvar stated.

As we continued, I noticed a growing amount of spider webs ... large ones.  “Hadvar, how large do spiders get here in Skyrim?”

“Frostbite spiders can get very large, about the size of a man if they live long enough.  Why?”

I pointed into the cavern we had reached.  “That’s why,” I stated, shooting one of his giant spiders, though it was not as large as he claimed.

“Ah, a nest,” he stated as calmly as if we were talking about the weather.  “Stay up here and cover me,” he ordered.  We quickly killed five spiders and Hadvar taught me how to extract their venom so I could poison my arrows.  "What's next do you think?  Giant snakes?" Hadvar joked.  I couldn't help but laugh at that as we moved on.  Fortunately, we soon found our way out, once we got past a cave bear.  Once outside, we watched as the dragon that had attacked Helgen flew off to the northeast.


	4. Before The Storm

          “Listen, once you finish in Riverwood, you should go to Solitude and join up with the Imperial legion.  We could really use someone like you,” Hadvar stated as we started walking along the road.

          “I just might do that, Hadvar,” I said.  It wasn’t like I knew how to get home, or that anyone expected him to come back.  Then I decided to ask Hadvar a question.  “You said that Ralof was from Riverwood as well, and you seemed to know him back at Helgen.  Is that how?”

          Hadvar sighed.  “Yes, we grew up together.  He was once my friend, but that was before Ulfric rebelled against High King Torygg and the Empire.”

          “Why did he do that?”

          “He’s mad at the Empire over the peace we managed to negotiate at the end of the last war with the Aldmeri Dominion, a kingdom ruled by elves.  I can’t completely blame him, the Empire’s not as strong as it once was, not since the Oblivion Crisis and the end of the Septim bloodline two hundred years ago.  Anyways the elves basically dictated the terms of the peace, and it seems like more and more elves are ruling from the Imperial City, but the Empire needs to be united if we are to remain strong against others.  In any case, if the Stormcloaks are using a dragon, General Tullius will want to know.  He may be the only one who can stop them.”

          I raised an eyebrow at the last remark.  “Dragons are wild, powerful, and prideful beings, you don’t control them, not unless you get lucky and raise them from birth.”  Hadvar had to give me that.  “Speaking of dragons, I could have sworn I heard the dragon actually _speak_.  But that’s impossible, isn’t it?”

          “No, actually.  Dragons are extremely sophisticated creatures, and have their own language called _Dovahzul_ , or literally Dragon Tongue,” Hadvar stated.

          “Well, that’s different.  I don’t suppose you know what _Alduin_ means, do you?”

          Hadvar turned and stared at me in shock.  “I thought you said you weren’t from around here!  How do you know that name?” he nearly demanded.

          “Because the dragon mentioned it, why?”  Hadvar just started muttering denials, so I knew I’d have to turn to others for an answer.

          Soon afterwards, I heard a conversation from close by and we snuck close to the ones talking.  Upon seeing them, he explained "Bandits, probably the ones that have been plaguing this road for a while.  It would certainly raise your reputation in Riverwood and Whiterun if we were to take them out."  I couldn't disagree with that, so I followed his advice and together we attacked the bandits.  Once we had killed all three, I noticed a dirt path with a few logs set into it.  When I asked where that led, Hadvar stated "An old shrine to the Divine Talos, also known as Tiber Septim."

          "As in the Septim line you mentioned earlier?" I asked.

          "Indeed, he was the founder of the Septim dynasty.  And this whole war is mostly about how the elves hate the idea of a mere human becoming one of the divines, while the Stormcloaks refuse to give up worshipping him.  Oh, everyone had their little shrine to Talos even after the treaty, but no one outside the elves cared until Ulfric and his boys started raising a ruckus about it."  Curious, I made the short climb, only to find four dead humans and one dead being in a hooded cloak.  “Yeah, this is what happens if the Thalmor finds someone worshipping Talos.  It’s things like this that make me understand just why Ulfric rebelled,” Hadvar stated.  "I wonder who killed the Thalmor though?"  He had a point, as three worshippers were dead, and none of them were armed, outside of a sword on the altar.

          As we resumed on our journey to Riverwood, I spotted some large ruins on a nearby mountain.  When I asked Hadvar about them, he responded “Bleak Falls Barrow.  When I was a boy, that place always used to give me nightmares.  Draugr creeping down the mountain to climb through my window at night, that kind of thing.  I admit, I still don’t like the look of it.”

          “Draugr?  What are those?”

          “The undead,” Hadvar explained simply.  Soon we came upon another of Skyrim’s landmarks.  “These are the Guardian Stones.  Three of the thirteen ancient standing stones that dot Skyrim’s landscape.  Go ahead, take a closer look.”  As I did so, I noticed that each was carved with a different image.  The one on the left held a highwayman, the middle a mage of some kind with his staff, and the one on the right a warrior.  I felt a pull of some kind coming from each of the stones, and finally decided to touch the Warrior Stone.  “Warrior, good.  I knew you shouldn’t have been on that cart the minute I laid eyes on you.”

          “What are they, if they can tell you so much about me?” I demanded.

          “Hmm, you’re a noble where you’re from aren’t you?  The standing stones are magical stones carved with the images of the thirteen constellations of the zodiac, and that always tells you something about the person born under that sign,” Hadvar explained.

          Huh, I thought.  Valyria didn’t have anything like that.  We passed another path like the one leading up to the Talos shrine, and when I asked about it, Hadvar stated “That leads up to the Embershard Iron Mine.  Skyrim is dotted with old mines and caves, most of which function as bandit hideouts now.”

          “Really?  Wait here and I’ll be right back,” I told him.  I then snuck into the mine and slaughtered the bandits inside the mine before reuniting with Hadvar.  The rest of the walk to Riverwood was peaceful enough, outside of a wolf attack.  Alvor’s place was right inside the gate to Riverwood, and there Hadvar filled his uncle in on what happened in Helgen while they shared a meal, welcoming me as a guest with the traditional gift of bread and salt.  Once Hadvar finished, Alvor requested that I go on to the local Jarl’s palace in Whiterun and tell him, as Hadvar was staying to recuperate before going on to Solitude.  Knowing how dangerous dragons could be, I decided to go to Whiterun as soon as possible.  But first, I decided to get some supplies, news and rest.  Fortunately, Alvor let me sleep at his place, meaning I didn’t need to find an inn.

 

_18th of Last Seed, 201 4E_

The next morning after a simple breakfast of bread and cheese, I talked to Alvor and collected some more information about Whiterun and Jarl Balgruff, including the fact that Alvor expected him to stay loyal to the Empire.  Afterwards, he gave me a crash course in blacksmithing, telling me that I’d need it so I could learn to make and improve my armour and weapons, then he provided some of his iron and steel so that when I was better, I could make my own armour and weapons.  I then managed to sell most of my excess items to a merchant called Lucan Valerian.  As it turned out, he had had a break-in at his shop, and I promised to bring the one stolen item back: a golden dragon claw that had most likely been taken to Bleak Falls Barrow.  Then in the local inn, the innkeeper gave me a bounty promised by Jarl Balgruff for taking care of some bandits at a place called Valtheim Towers, along with a map showing where it was.  Considering how easy the last bunch of bandits had been to kill, I figured this new bunch would be just as easy, and it would help me build a reputation in Whiterun.  With that, I headed out of Riverwood, taking the horse I found just north of the village so I could make better time.

          My first stop was an old fallen tree just west of Riverwood.  As it happened, it was a good thing we had attacked the first group of bandits yesterday, as one of them had a map detailing where they kept their loot, and it was inside that tree.  Once I had it, I moved on north towards Whiterun, and Valtheim Towers.  Along the way, I encountered a group of Imperials marching a Stormcloak towards Whiterun, proving that Alvor was right when he spoke of Balgruff’s loyalties.

          Along the way to Whiterun, I saw a giant attacking some people at a farm, so I decided to lend my assistance and shot the giant with my bow.  When the giant fell, I went to retrieve what arrows I could and received and was invited to join a group of warriors known as the Companions.  Since they seemed the kind of people that Vermithrax would approve of, I decided to consider the offer.  As it was getting too late in the day to go to the towers, I decided to wait before taking on the bandits, especially considering where they were and went straight to Whiterun.  At the gate, the guards said that the city was closed because of the dragons, but when I mentioned Riverwood's call for aid, they let me inside without a fuss.  Once inside, the guard was all too happy to point me to the inn.  Along the way, I met a priestess in the market district.  She introduced herself as Danica Pure-Spring, a priestess of Kynareth, who explained that Kynareth was their version of Tessarion.  I then headed up the hill and discovered a dead tree, and a couple arguing.  I quickly discovered that the husband, Amren by name, was looking for a sword that his father used in work as something called a 'mercenary,' which I assumed was something similar to a sellsword.  (As I spoke to both of them, I heard a man preaching about Talos, openly attacking the elves and the Empire, while agitating for the Stormcloaks.  I had to wonder why he wasn't dead or arrested yet.)  Nearby, I found their graveyard in the Temple of Arkay (their name for Morghul.)  The priest was having trouble with the restless dead, so I took them out and discovered an unusual gem at the same time.  I also ran into a young woman who aspired to be a merchant, and needed a mammoth tusk in order to continue her training.  Being the generous sort, I offered my help in exchange for her teaching me some of the tricks of the trade.  While we were talking, Danica came up the hill in order to return to her temple, and she explained that the tree had been planted when Whiterun was a new city, and that it was grown from a cutting of an ancient tree.  She also believed that with some of the sap from the tree, she could wake up the Gildergreen.  Unfortunately, due to the age of the parent tree, I had to use a particular kind of weapon created by a being called a hagraven.

At the inn, I rented a room and once again got the latest gossip.  I also noticed a warrior woman in the corner of the main room in the inn.  Curious, I struck up a conversation with her, and learned that she claimed to be one of the greatest fighters in Skyrim, and could beat anyone in a fist fight.  Problem was, she was _too_ strong, as she had accidentally killed a youth while working for the Companions.  "100 gold coins says I can beat you," I said.  Naturally she took me up on the bet, and we had a little exhibition bout right there.  I admit, she put up a good fight, but I knocked her off her feet fairly easily.  When she asked where I learned to fight, I stated "The game of thrones can be quite dangerous back home."  And could it ever!  I had lost count of the number of fights I had been involved in during Senate sessions just in my first year as a Senator of Valyria, let alone in the following 20 odd years.  With 100 more gold jingling in my purse, I went to my room and slept for the first time in this new land.

         

_19th of Last Seed, 201st Year of the Fourth Era_

 

          When morning came, I left Whiterun and consulted my map so that I could decide where to go.  Amren's sword was in a place called White River Watch, just east of Whiterun, while the bandits of Valtheim Towers were to the east, and Orphan Rock (the location of a blade to help the gildergreen) was to the southeast, near _Helgen_ of all places!

          Since it was closest, I decided to go after the sword, then take care of Jarl Balgruuf's bandits.  The Watch bandits were easy to take care of, especially since they had a blind man for the front guard, and because I loosed a wolf that they were trying to tame.  I quickly returned to Whiterun, sold off my loot and returned Amren's sword before heading back out to take on the bandits of Valtheim Towers.  Along the way, I was attacked by a Thalmor agent and a soldier just because I discovered a shrine to Talos along a cliff.  Why was I there?  I was shown a good way to ambush the bandits by following a small pass that led from Whiterun to Valtheim Towers and it went right by the shrine.

That pass also led by a ruined castle that a Stormcloak patrol called Fellglow Keep.  While we were talking, a lizard in red leather armor and a black hood attacked me, causing the Stormcloaks to run away from me in fear.  Once the lizard was dead, their leader explained that he was an Argonian that worked for the Dark Brotherhood, a group of assassins, ones that wouldn’t stop until their contract had been fulfilled.  As that explanation cleared up a rumour I had heard at Riverwood, I decided I would visit Aventus Aretino just so I could mess with them … and possibly have a chance to destroy them.

With that decided, I moved on to the Towers, but most of the bandits were busy shooting at a deer, so I took on the ones I could before finishing them off by killing the hunters.  As it was staring to get dark by then, I headed back towards Whiterun, only to be attacked by two black hounds that just … _felt_ wrong, like death.  Fear struck my heart and I ran to Whiterun for safety, only for a pale being to attack me as soon as I was inside the walls.  Along with two others, I fought and killed the being, which a guard referred to as a vampire, one of the living dead that fed on the blood of mortals.  He then mentioned that there was a group of dedicated vampire hunters reforming near Riften.  I decided then and there that I would join the Dawnguard and help defend against these monstrosities.  But until then, I needed to get some rest, so I retired to the inn.

 

 

_20th of Last Seed_

 

          First thing in the morning, I sold off the armour and weapons I carried back from Valtheim then headed up to Dragonsreach to finally speak to Jarl Balgruuf.  But before I could speak to the Jarl, a dark skinned being with red eyes (one that I believed to be an elf) stopped me and demanded to know why I was there.  She got on my nerves, so I refused to answer her.  Fortunately Balgruuf overheard and called me over.  Balgruuf listened to my talk and knew Alvor to be a reliable man.  He saw the danger and immediately ordered the elf to send a detachment of troops to Riverwood to protect them from the dragon, no matter what politics had to say.  He then sent me to his court wizard for a project connected to dragons that the wizard needed help with and guided me to the wizard.  "Yes, I could use someone to fetch something for me.  Well, when I say fetch, I really mean delve into a dangerous ruin for an ancient stone tablet that may or may not actually be there."

          "And what does this have to do with dragons?" I asked.  Really, how could an _ancient_ tablet help with a _current_ problem with dragons?  Unless, maybe they had trouble with dragons before this Alduin arrived?

          The question actually impressed Farengar.  "Ah, no mere brute mercenary, but a thinker, perhaps even a scholar?  You see, when the stories of dragons began to circulate, many dismissed them as mere fantasies, rumours.  Impossibilities.  One sure mark of a fool is to dismiss anything outside that falls outside his experience as impossible.”

          “Trust me, these days I don’t think anything is impossible,” I stated.

          “Oh, and why is that?”

          “Because I recently arrived from another world and my home was under attack by a dragon, had been for two hundred years.”

          “I see, that does sound like something that most would say is impossible.  In any case, I began to search for information about dragons-where had they gone all those years ago?  And where were they coming from?"

          "Wait, so this _isn't_ the first time you've had to deal with dragons?"

          "No, but the last time a dragon was seen was thousands of years ago, during the Merethic Era.  Now, I recently learned of a certain stone tablet said to be housed in Bleak Falls Barrow-a 'dragonstone,' said to contain a map of dragon burial sites.  Go to Bleak Falls Barrow, find this tablet-no doubt interred in the main chamber-and bring it to me.  Simplicity itself."  With that, I was dismissed and allowed to collect the bounty, as well as the Jarl's new sword that a local blacksmith had forged.

          Since I knew how to get to Bleak Falls Barrow from Riverwood, I travelled along the same road I had to get to Whiterun, then took the other road from the bridge up into the mountains.  Once I was close to the barrow though, I spotted an old abandoned tower.  Knowing of the dangers of Skyrim, I quickly hid on a ledge and observed.  Soon enough, my caution proved wise, as four bandits (two of whom were green skinned humanoids) appeared.  It took me hours, but eventually I managed to kill all four and moved on to Bleak Falls Barrow where I took care of some more bandits, and started delving into Bleak Falls Barrow.

Early on, I had a bad feeling, as there were several layers of web along my path.  But my first piece of trouble didn't come from a frostbite spider, but from a puzzle.  A gate lay before me, and while the means to open it were in front of me, I had just seen a booby trap kill one of the bandits here.  I figured that was why the thief that had taken Lucan's golden claw was still here: the puzzles and other dangers were slowing him down.  I had no idea what to do, until I realized that the pillars on the level of the door could be turned, while the ones above the door couldn't.  I quickly matched two of the symbols, but the middle one was missing.  Fortunately, it had fallen on the ground, allowing me to hopefully complete the puzzle.  _Caraxes, let this be right_ I prayed as I pulled the lever.  Thankfully, I was right, and I moved on, only to find the spider I knew was here, along with a still living victim.  Once I had killed the spider, I learned that the victim was the thief I had been looking for, but he couldn't give me the claw until I cut him down.  Naturally I didn't trust him, so instead I just used the magic I had learned in Skyrim to burn him to death, then I collected the claw from his corpse and moved on.

          As I moved on, I found the catacombs that gave it the title of 'barrow'.  But as I moved closer to the tombs, I realized that something wasn't right ... the bodies looked far too ... fresh to be old enough to have something like the dragonstone inside.  Perhaps I was being overcautious, but I shot one of the corpses, only to find that I _wasn't_ being overcautious, as two others started moving!  I realized that these had to be the 'draugr' that Hadvar had mentioned when we first saw the barrows.  Gods, but I must have burned more than a dozen to nothing but ash and bone before I reached the door that required the Golden Claw!  Considering the rumours I had heard of the dead walking in the Sunset Lands during a long winter, I decided that as soon as I returned, I would present a law to the Senate requiring that bodies be burned upon death.  I couldn't risk my home being overwhelmed by the walking dead, not like the Sunset Lands had been so long ago.  The door was also a puzzle, explaining why the golden claw was the key: not only could the door only be opened using the claw, but also because the claw held the key to the rings of animals.

          Once inside the main chamber, I was drawn to a wall with strange carvings, all of which almost looked like they could have been carved by dragon claws; perhaps a written form of _Dovahzul_?  As I drew closer, one of the words seemed to glow until all I could see was the word, and somehow, I _instantly_ understood it: _Fus_ , a word that meant _force_.

          With the compulsion finally gone, I looked around.  Though I had searched the entire cavern before the compulsion had taken hold, I had yet to find the dragonstone.  (Although, I _did_ find an oddly shaped stone that spoke to me, commanding me to take it to a place called Mount Kilkreath.)  Then the coffin that had lain in front of the wall burst open, and another draugr came out of it.  I blasted him with fireballs several times, but he continued to come after me, and we had to duel, which ended when I landed a lucky hit, one that I doubted I would be able to land a second time.  When I searched the body, I instantly found the dragonstone, thus allowing me to leave.  With that, I climbed the stairs by the 'word wall' as I had dubbed it, only to find that it was very late, and that it lead to the side of the mountain, overlooking a lake.  I checked my map to see if I could figure out where I was, and found that I was actually not that far from Riverwood.  Fortunately, I knew of an old, abandoned house nearby, so I went there and slept.

 

_21 st of Last Seed_

 

          First thing I did when I arrived at Riverwood was to visit Alvor and Sigrid, then I returned Lucan’s golden claw to him.  Oddly enough, when I visited the Riverwood inn, Delphine the innkeeper was gone, so when I collected the latest bounty, I decided to just ride back to Whiterun and see just how useful this dragonstone was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, Morghul is god of the dead. The new gods are Vermithrax, the god of war, Tessarion is goddess of weather and Caraxes is the goddess of wisdom.


End file.
